Ciro Rodriguez leading Democrats in 23rd

Gary Marti, Express-News

By Gary Martin

Updated 7:19 am, Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Ciro Rodriguez

Photo: EDWARD A. ORNELAS, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Ciro Rodriguez

U.S. Rep Lloyd Doggett (center) and his wife Libby smile as they get early voting results from Bob Comeaux at the Comeaux residence on West French Place, Tuesday, May 29, 2012. Doggett was leading in early voting results out of Bexar and Travis Counties.

Photo: Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News

U.S. Rep Lloyd Doggett (center) and his wife Libby smile as they...

U.S. Rep Lloyd Doggett (center) and his wife Libby smile as they get early voting results from Bob Comeaux at the Comeaux residence on West French Place, Tuesday, May 29, 2012. Doggett was leading in early voting results out of Bexar and Travis Counties.

Photo: Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News

U.S. Rep Lloyd Doggett (center) and his wife Libby smile as they...

U.S. Rep Lloyd Doggett (left) gets early voting results from Bob Comeaux at the Comeaux residence on West French Place, Tuesday, May 29, 2012. Doggett was leading in early voting results out of Bexar and Travis Counties.

Former U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez advanced to a runoff with state Rep. Pete Gallego early Wednesday in a bid for a rematch with U.S. Rep. Francisco "Quico" Canseco, a Republican in the 23rd Congressional District.

Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, beat Gallego, 2-to-1 in Bexar and Maverick counties, but was soundly defeated in the far west counties of Texas where Gallego, D-Alpine, is a popular state representative.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, meanwhile, easily dispatched two San Antonio Democrats and appeared well on his way to election despite attempts by Texas Gov. Rick Perry and state GOP lawmakers to use redistricting to end the Austin liberal lawmaker's career.

“My main opponent has been Rick Perry and these Republican extremists,” Doggett, D-Austin, told the San Antonio Express-News.

State Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, will face San Antonio Republican David Rosa in the general election for the 20th Congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, D-San Antonio.

Castro and Rosa did not have primary opponents.

The nail-biting race of the evening was the three-way Democratic primary for the 23rd, which stretches from San Antonio to El Paso, and includes portions of 29 counties.

Rodriguez, who lost the seat in 2010, was widely overspent by Gallego, and San Antonio patent lawyer John Bustamante received pockets of support throughout the district.

Rodriguez narrowly led Gallego and Bustamante, leaving the possibility of a runoff too close to call.

Canseco did not have primary opposition.

National Democratic and Republican parties are paying close attention to the Texas 23 race because it will have implications this fall for control of the U.S. House.

Doggett defeated Sylvia Romo, the Bexar County tax assessor collector, and Maria Luisa Alvarado, an Air Force veteran from San Antonio who ran for lieutenant governor in 2006.

The Austin lawmaker outspent his rivals more than 20-to-1 in the newly drawn Latino majority 35th Congressional District that runs from Austin's east side to downtown San Antonio.

Doggett will be heavily favored to win in the November general election because of the Democratic makeup of the congressional district following redistricting.

The primary victory was a rebuke to Perry and Republicans who have tried twice to use redistricting to end Doggett's lengthy tenure in the House.

Republicans first tried to remove Doggett during redistricting in 2003.

But the map was scrapped after the U.S. Supreme Court found that changes in West Texas diluted minority voting strength.

Republicans used redistricting to redraw Doggett's largely Democratic 25th Congressional District in Austin to include more conservatives.

Doggett instead ran in the minority opportunity 35th District.

In the GOP primary, former San Marcos Mayor Susan Narvaiz held a healthy lead over John Yoggerst of San Antonio and Rob Roark of San Marcos.

Smith, meanwhile, will face business consultant Candace Duvál, who defeated retired Air Force psychologist Daniel Boone in the Democratic primary.

Smith is considered an overwhelming favorite to win re-election because of the number of conservatives in the Hill Country district.